1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for initiating and terminating automatic operation of a gaming device, such as a slot machine.
2. Description of Related Art
There are numerous types of gaming devices in use today. Most of these gaming devices, such as slot machines, video blackjack machines, video poker devices, and the like, require the player of the device to be physically present during game play. Specifically, the player must be present to continuously feed money into the gaming device, initiate each play of the device, and receive any payout from the device. The requirement of a physical presence is not only a hardship on a player, as will be further described below, but also results in substantial down-time to the casino owner of the gaming device. While casinos typically have a large capital investment in gaming devices, and particularly slot machines, these devices go unused a large portion of the time. For example, late at night, between successive players, and during inclement weather, are times when such devices may go largely unused.
For a player, a constant presence at a gaming device may comprise both a physical and emotional hardship. For example, a player may wish to leave the gaming device momentarily to have dinner or take a short rest before returning to the machine. In other instances, the player may wish to leave for an extended period to attend a show, play a round of golf, or the like.
Despite wanting to leave the gaming device, the player often will desire to continue playing. Because a player's stay at a casino is limited, a player will often want to maximize the playing time, thereby increasing the chances of winning. Moreover, a player often desires to continue playing the same gaming device because the player believes that the chances of winning on that particular device are great. In gaming vernacular, the device is "due to hit."
In response to a desire to physically leave a gaming device yet continue playing it, players have been known to manually "lock-up" a device. Such manual locking-up of a device has typically been achieved by placing a "reserved" sign on the device or, in the case of slot machines, placing a change cup on the pull handle. In theory, by manually locking-up a device, a player prevents others from playing that device until the player returns to resume play.
In practice, however, manually locking-up a gaming device has several disadvantages. Manually locking-up a device is ineffectual as there can be no guarantee that other players will respect the indication that the device is locked-up. Despite the "reserved" sign or the change cup on the handle, another player may still operate the manually locked-up device. During such an apparent lock-up, the device is really reserved, not physically secured. Even if no other player begins play on the locked-up device, the time away from the device is lost; not only has the player lost opportunities to hit a jackpot, but also the owner of the device has lost significant revenue by allowing the device to go unused. Thus, there is a need for a method and system for automated play of a gaming device, thereby effectively locking-up the device in a continuous gambling mode while the player is away from the device.
The game of Keno resembles automated play. A game of Keno consists of matching a series of player-selected numbers against a series of numbers drawn by the Keno system. Once the player has selected the series of numbers, the player selects a certain number of games for which those numbers are valid. Thus, by selecting several games, the player may bet on future games without further interaction with the system.
Despite proceeding without interaction between the player and the Keno system, there is no true automated play and no device lock-up in Keno. The numbers are drawn by the system and broadcast or transmitted to a number of screens throughout an establishment, such as a casino. An unlimited number of players can attempt to match the numbers drawn. Thus, each screen displaying the numbers drawn by the system need not be locked-up. Moreover, the system continues to draw numbers regardless of whether a player is at a screen watching the numbers being drawn. In other words, each game is not initiated by a single player. Furthermore, the Keno games continue indefinitely, without regard to a particular player's status or participation and without regard to the outcome of a prior game. Thus, while the number drawings in Keno may occur in a continuous manner, there is no automated play of a dedicated machine for a selected customer.
Accordingly, the need for a method and system for automated play of a gaming device remains unsatisfied, even in a Keno environment.